chorionic villi

chorionic

[kor″e-on´ik]

pertaining to the chorion.

chorionic villi numerous branching projections from the external surface of the chorion that provide for exchange between the maternal and fetal circulation. Oxygen and nutrients in the maternal blood diffuse through the walls of the villi and enter the blood of the embryo or fetus. Carbon dioxide and waste products diffuse from blood in the fetal capillaries through the walls of the villi into the maternal blood. See also chorionic villus sampling.

villus

[vil´us] (L.)

a small vascular process or protrusion, as from the free surface of a membrane.

arachnoid villi microscopic projections of the arachnoid into some of the venous sinuses.

intestinal villi multitudinous threadlike projections covering the surface of the mucous membrane lining the small intestine, serving as the sites of absorption of fluids and nutrients.

synovial villi slender projections from the surface of the synovial membrane into the cavity of a joint; called also haversian glands.

cho·ri·on·ic vil·li

vascular processes of the chorion of the embryo entering into the formation of the placenta.

cho·ri·on·ic vil·li

(kōr'ē-on'ik vil'ī)

Vascular processes of the chorion of the embryo entering into the formation of the placenta.

chorionic villi

The finger-like projections from the CHORION into the wall of the womb at the site at which the PLACENTA is developing. Since both the chorionic villi and the embryo are derived from the same fertilized ovum a sample of the former provides material for genetic studies of the latter. Chorionic villus sampling has become an important method of early pre-natal screening for genetic defects.

Chorionic villi

Microscopic, finger-like projections that emerge from the outer sac which surrounds the developing baby. Chorionic villi are of fetal origin and eventually form the placenta.

To resolve the discrepancy between the biochemical results from native and cultured chorionic villi, we first investigated the genetic identity of the cultured chorionic villus specimen by analyzing nine different polymorphic short tetranucleotide repeat loci and the X-Y homologous gene amelogenin with the AmpF/STRT[TM] Profiler Plus Kit (Applied Biosystems).

While the test still is under development, if proven effective, it could provide noninvasive, earlier prenatal screening and possibly eliminate the need for amniocentesis and chorionic villi sampling (CVS).

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